How to Prepare for Baby’s First Haircut

May 9, 2017May 12, 2017

Before I had my first son, I already knew the little man haircut that I wanted him to have. I would never have guessed that once he was actually here and I’d seen all that silky baby hair that I would be so totally attached to it. He was two and a half by the time I cut it and it was almost all the way down his back! But before that you can bet, I got a ton of unsolicited advice from family members and passer byers who thought he “needed” a haircut. I strongly believe it is up to the parents of the child to make this choice and if you’re not ready to cut your kids hair, then I strongly encourage you to stand your ground and hold off on that first haircut.

In our case, my son was starting to be really bothered by his hair. It was in the way when he played, when he ate, and once it got hot outside he was roasting. So for us, it was just the right time. It yanked at my heart strings because, even if it’s silly, I felt like it was his last “baby” trait.

Having said all of that, if you are ready to give baby a haircut, I hope you enjoy this little guide of tips and tricks that worked like a charm for us!

How to Prepare for Baby’s First Haircut

Do your homework.

Find a place that takes babies or toddlers your child’s age. A place that is exclusively for kids can be a great idea because the stylists there are used to crying moms babies and toddlers and may have more patience and understanding. Their facilities may also be equipped in a baby-friendly way. A lot of kiddie salons have a Disney movie playing, toys on hand, and their styling chairs look like race cars or motorcycles which can help serve as a distraction. Read reviews and see what people say about the place before you go. I like to check Yelp for photos and reviews.

Know exactly what you want.

Come with one of more pictures of exactly what you want done and discuss it with the stylist at length before they begin. If there’s anything you for sure don’t want- make that clear. If your child has a calic that may make their hair stand up in funny directions once it is a shorter length – let the stylist know about this before they begin. My point here is that if you are clear about what you want, you are more likely to get it. You don’t have to be demanding but you want a stylist that appreciates your communication rather than one that is pushy or in a rush.

Talk to your baby/toddler about it.

No matter how old your baby is, talk to them about the haircut in advance. Babies understand a lot more than they can convey a lot sooner than you’d think. Talking about it in a positive and upbeat way will make things easier. If you have a blow dryer at home and they haven’t used it before or if they hate it – this is a good time to get them used to it since it’ll probably be used to blow trimmed hair off of your baby. Maybe even take them to witness a haircut of yours or dads.

Prepare for the worst but hope for the best!

I think this is a pretty solid plan for doing anything with babies or toddlers but especially in this case! Come to your appointment prepared. If your child has a toy, show or a snack that they normally love – bring all of that. We try to limit screen time for the boys but 15 minutes of Super Wings on the I-pad to avoid a totally botched haircut sounds like a good enough deal to me! Honestly, I even brought some M&M’s in case he needed bribing! Fortunately he did really, really well and didn’t seem to mind at all but you never know.

Schedule accordingly.

You don’t want to schedule baby’s first haircut right in the middle of when the usually nap or on a day that you can already tell that they are cranky or not feeling well. If it’s possible for you, I also recommend avoiding peak business hours. You can ask the salon you choose when they are the least busy but generally speaking – a week day is apt to be less busy than a weekend. I recommend this for two reason. First, when a salon is less busy the stylist may feel less pressed to hurry to get to the next client. Secondly, if your baby is easily overwhelmed then a crowd of people could really derail things.

Try to make haircuts a special and rewarding event.

This is more important if your child gets really upset about it. Take them to their favorite park afterwards, go grab some ice cream, or let them pick out a new toy if you think your baby would benefit from a reward in exchange for a haircutting session done well.

Don’t forget the keepsakes.

Can you believe that I took 72 photos during my son’s first haircut? And we were only there maybe 20 minutes! Totally a memory worth preserving though. So, don’t forget the camera! What I forgot was something to save some of his hair in. The stylist gave me an envelope but if you want a keepsake lock of hair, I’d suggest you bring something. Some kiddie salons even provide a really cute “first haircut certificate” or there are a lot of options for making your own.

Well, that’s about it. Hopefully your little has no issues and he/she will undoubtedly look just precious! If you have any other first haircut tips or ideas, please do share. If you liked this piece don’t forget to pin me!

*Disclosure: Here at Mostly a Mom, we will vow to always give or genuine opinions and advice. This page may contain affiliate links. Therefore, we are required to let you know that we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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Hey there! I'm Jaedin, professional stay-at-home mom and wife here in sunny California! I love my "job" and I love being able to connect with other moms, wives, and families. Welcome to my site, Mostly a Mom! Here, you will find ideas, tips, and inspiration on all things parenting and homemaking.

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*Disclosure: Here at Mostly a Mom, we will vow to always give or genuine opinions and advice. This page may contain affiliate links. Therefore, we are required to let you know that we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.